Roberto Regazzi (born 20 August 1956 in Bologna, Italy) is a notable contemporary violin maker and scholar who received his initiation in the craft from Otello Bignami. Regazzi lives and works in Bologna.
Roberto Regazzi (born 20 August 1956 in Bologna, Italy) is a notable contemporary violin maker and scholar who received his initiation in the craft from Otello Bignami. Regazzi lives and works in Bologna.
The debut was at an early age; when he was 14 years old started to be involved with passion in the construction of musical instruments, at that time mostly classical guitars, under the guidance of Alan Wilcox and Renato Scrollavezza in the mid 1970s.
Later, the possibility to become a home pupil of Otello Bignami was crucial for his decision to stop the studies at the Bologna University (Physics) to become a professional violin maker.
Established and well known worldwide for the high quality of his instruments, he has been president of a number of specialized organizations including the European Association of Violin and Bow Makers.
His violins are clear examples of the Italianate sound and in demand also in countries. [1]
Just before the advent of the new millennium his production started to be inspired by Guarneri del Gesù, with the achievement of a rich and full sonority. His work is also inspired by Giuseppe Fiorini, Ansaldo Poggi and Augusto Pollastri (modern Bolognese School).
In 2006 the Chamber of Commerce of Bologna conferred on him an honour in recognition of his work. [2] In 2018 the Fondazione Cologni wanted to have him in the Golden Book of the MAM (Maestro d'Arte e Mestiere), a sort of Grammy Award for handicraft activities. "Roberto Regazzi :: MAM - Maestro d'Arte e Mestieri" . Retrieved 3 December 2022.
Many are the performers and musicians who have bought and play or have ordered his instruments, including Boris Belkin, [3] Franco Mezzena, Anne-Sophie Mutter, [4] Ruggiero Ricci, [5] Salvatore Greco, Giovanni Adamo, Uto Ughi, Franco Gulli, Anastasiya Petryshak, Sonia Slany, Riccardo Brengola, the Quartetto di Venezia, Igor Ozim, Peter Fisher and many others.
The Regazzi Library is a large and valuable collection of books, articles and documents about musical instruments, considered a unique piece in the world. [6]
He has been on the jury of a number of contests for luthiers, including the 10th International Competition of the Violin Society of America at Carlisle, Pennsylvania (1992), [7] the Freiburg Baden-Wurttemberg Internationaler Geigenbauwettbewerb Jacobus Stainer (1996), the 5th Baveno Violin Making Competition, [8] the 2nd Concourse in S.M. della neve of Pisogne [9] and the prestigious 10th (2001) and 14th (2021, as a Chairman Jury Member) Henryk Wieniawski Violin-Making Competition, the oldest event of this kind in the world. [10]
He also made several classical concert guitars starting in the 1970s, [11] up to the end of the 1980s, mostly made out of top selected quality Brazilian rosewood and quite special western red cedar and Italian or American spruce.
Every instrument is labelled and branded with iron from the beginning of his artistic career. [12]
He has written books, lectured around the world and organised cultural events relating to his art and profession. [13]
Regazzi is the first luthier from Bologna having been chosen as an official testimonial for the Craft of Traditional Musical Instrument Making at the Bologna Shanghai 2010 Expo. [14]
In the same period he was also the creator and developer of the wiihang, a kind of prepared handpan which uses the infrared technology to be coupled with a specially adapted synthesizer. [15]
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Il Cannone Guarnerius of 1743 is a violin created by the Italian luthier Giuseppe Bartolomeo Guarneri of Cremona (1698–1744).
Bartolomeo Giuseppe "del Gesù" Guarneri was an Italian luthier from the Guarneri family of Cremona. He rivals Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) with regard to the respect and reverence accorded his instruments, and for many prominent players and collectors his instruments are the most coveted of all. Instruments made by Guarneri are often referred to as Del Gesùs.
Salvatore Greco is an Italian violinist, leader of the Orchestra of Teatro Massimo, Palermo since 1991.
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Otello Bignami was an Italian violin maker from Bologna.
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The Lord Dunn–Raven Stradivarius of 1710 is an antique violin made by luthier Antonio Stradivari of Cremona (1644–1737). It is one of 700 known existent Stradivari instruments. This violin is currently owned by violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter. The Lord Dunn-Raven was made during the Stradivari's "golden period". The violin is named after the Irish politician Windham Wyndham-Quin, 4th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl.
Franco Albanelli was an Italian luthier, a pupil of Gaetano Pollastri, who was born in Castel San Pietro Terme, Emilia-Romagna, Italy.
Ansaldo Poggi was born in Villafontana di Medicina (Bologna), 9 June 1893 and died in Bologna, 4 September 1984. He demonstrated his talent for the making of stringed instruments at a young age. His father, also an artisan, musician and amateur violinmaker, encouraged his son, steering him toward the arts. After the end of World War I he dedicated himself to the profession, taking up the craft again alongside his father while at the same time graduating from the Philharmonic Academy of Bologna. In 1921 he met up with the famous luthier Giuseppe Fiorini, of whom he was an adored disciple. In 1923 he won his first silver medal with a viola at the National Competition in Rome.
Giuseppe Pedrazzini was an Italian violin maker. He was a pupil of Riccardo Antoniazzi and Romeo Antoniazzi in Milan, then began to work on his own there. He quickly gained recognition and won awards at various exhibitions, including those in Rome in 1920 and in Cremona in 1937. He modelled his instruments after various patterns, especially those of Stradivari, G.B. Guadagnini and Amati, all of which he interpreted freely. Tonally his work is among the best of the early 20th-century Italian makers. He was a meticulous and elegant craftsman; the scrolls of his instruments are always deeply carved, and the symmetrically rounded curves of the bouts and flanks provide a distinctive touch. Besides new instruments, he made a number of skilful antiqued copies. He used a variety of different labels and, depending on the period, one of three different brands. A good part of his output was exported, and he had particularly close ties with Hawkes & Son in London. Among his pupils and associates were Ferdinando Garimberti, P. Parravicini and his nephew N. Novelli.
Raffaele Fiorini was an influential Italian violin maker.
Garimberti, Ferdinando (6 January 1894 – 26 March 1982) was an Italian violin maker.
Augusto Pollastri was an Italian violin maker, older brother to Gaetano Pollastri. Started his career as an apprentice in Raffaele Fiorini's studio. Augusto's father was a miller and an amateur musician. Augusto was exposed to music early on, he also enjoyed visiting the shop of a famous violin maker Raffaele Fiorini, where he started to perform small services in the shop, which led to an apprenticeship with maestro Fiorini.
Nicola Amati, Nicolò Amati or Nicolao Amati was an Italian master luthier from Cremona, Italy. Amati is one of the most well-known luthiers from the Casa Amati. He was the teacher of illustrious Cremonese School luthiers such as Andrea Guarneri and Giovanni Battista Rogeri. While no clear documentation exists for their being apprentices in his shop, Amati may also have apprenticed Antonio Stradivari, Francesco Rugeri, and Jacob Stainer, as their work is heavily influenced by Amati.
Count Ignazio Alessandro Cozio di Salabue (1755–1840) was an Italian nobleman who was known as the first great connoisseur and collector of violins. A trove of correspondence and memoirs on the history of violinmaking known as the Carteggio forms the basis of his biography. Cozio's meticulous notes on nearly every instrument that passed through his hands contributed enormously to the body of knowledge surrounding Italian violinmaking.
Don Nicolò Amati was an Italian violin maker based in Bologna. In 1687 he entered priesthood. He pursued both careers, priesthood and violinmaking, throughout his lifetime.
